Finian's Rainbow (musical)
This is about the '''stage musical.' For the film, see Finian's Rainbow (1968 film).'' Finian's Rainbow is a stage musical. Cast Singing roles *Ella Logan - Sharon McLonergan *David Wayne - Og *Donald Richards - Woody Mahoney *Robert Pitkin - Senator Billboard Hawkins *Maude Simmons and Dolores Martin - Soloists Non-singing roles *'Andrew Sharpe' - Finian McLonergan Plot The play opens in Rainbow Valley Missitucky, near Fort Knox, home of a mixture of black and white tobacco sharecroppers. The local Sheriff and Buzz Collins, front man for local Senator Billboard Rawkins show demanding the locals pay their taxes or else have their land auctioned off. The sharecroppers want to wait for Woody Mahoney, their union leader. Woody's mute sister Susan the Silent, who communicates by dancing, with Henry, the boy who translates for her, promise he will bring the money. The Sheriff begins the auction, but the Sharecroppers refuse to listen, and drag him and Collins off to meet Woody. As they leave, Finian McLonergan, an elderly Irishman, arrives with his daughter Sharon. They have come looking for Rainbow Valley, but Sharon misses their home in Ireland. Finian explains to Sharon that American millionaires convert their wealth into gold and bury it near Fort Knox. He concludes it is the soil in Fort Knox that makes the USA rich, and reveals that he has a crock of gold stolen from a leprechaun, which he intends to bury. Woody and the sharecroppers reenter, and when Woody doesn't have enough money, Finian pays the rest. Finian and Sharon are welcomed by the sharecroppers. Sharon explains her father's philosophy of following the dream. That night, Finian buries the gold and marks the spot, only to be met by Og, the leprechaun he stole from. Without his gold, Og is slowly becoming mortal, and needs it back. Sharon and Woody come looking for Finian, but are soon distracted by the moonlight, and each other. Senator Rawkins is buying up land to fight progressive developers. He is not upset with losing Rainbow Valley, until two geologists arrive to tell him gold has been detected on it. He vows to drive Finian and the sharecroppers off. The next morning Og meets Sharon, and shyly confesses his feelings for her. Sharon is in love with Woody, however, and Finian slyly prevents Woody from leaving for New York by making him jealous. The sharecroppers celebrate their unofficial betrothal. Og arrives and tells Finian he loves Sharon. He also warns Finian not to make wishes near the gold - after three wishes, the gold will vanish forever. Og enlists the local children to help find his gold, promising to get them anything from a magical catalogue. As the sharecroppers sort the tobacco leaves, Maude, one of their leaders, explains the general unfairness of life to them . Senator Rawkins arrives informing Finian and the sharecroppers that, by living with black people, they are breaking the law and must leave. Outraged at the Senator's bigotry, Sharon tells him 'I wish to God you were black!' while over the gold. The Senator is transformed, and chased off the property by the unknowing Sheriff. Woody brings news that there is gold on their land, and the Shears-Robust shipping company has offered them all a free charge account. Insisting that credit is better than wealth, Woody and Finian tell them to use their new free credit rather than dig the gold. The group celebrates. The sharecroppers begin unpacking extravagant gifts to themselves from their new accounts. Sharon and Finian celebrate the end of class-distinction that comes with wealth. Shears and Robust show up wondering when the gold will be discovered that will pay for the credit. Woody and Finian explain that there is no need to dig the gold up, since the news has led to massive investment in their tobacco label. Buzz and the Sheriff however, accuse Sharon of using witchcraft to turn the Senator black. Woody orders them off. He and Sharon agree to marry. Susan the Silent watches them, and dances by herself, and discovers the hidden gold. She takes the gold for herself and hides it. Meanwhile, the still-black Senator Rawkins is hiding in the woods. He meets Og and explains what happened to him. Og decides what the Senator needs is a new inside rather than a new outside. He uses his own magic to make the Senator a nicer person. In his new persona Rawkins falls in with a group of black gospel singers looking for a fourth man. By chance, they are all going to sing at Woody and Sharon's wedding. The wedding is interrupted by Buzz and the Sheriff, who have come to arrest her for witchcraft. The Senator tries to defend them, but as a black man, the Sheriff has no need to heed him. Finian steps in, promising Sharon can change the Senator back. He dismisses everyone, intending to use the Crock to undo her wish, but finds the crock gone. Og, now almost human, looks for Sharon to tell her his feelings. He finds Susan instead, but realises he is also attracted to her. He wonders if all human love is so fickle. Finian finds them and tells them Sharon is in danger. When Og reveals he doesn't have the gold, Finian runs off in despair. Susan knows where the gold is, but can't speak. Frustrated, Og wishes she could talk, not knowing the gold is under his feet. Susan speaks, and tells him she loves him. Og realizes there is only one wish left, and if he uses it to save Sharon, he cannot be a leprechaun again. He is unsure what to do until Susan kisses him. Deciding being human isn't so bad, Og wishes the Senator white again. The Senator promises to be a better representative to the people, and the Sharecroppers welcome Og and the now verbal Susan. Finian, however, has lost the crock and his hope of getting rich. Seeing that Sharon and Og have found their dreams, he goes off again in search of his own rainbow, saying 'Maybe there's no pot of gold at the end of it, but there's a beautiful new world under it.' The cast tells him goodbye, promising to see him in Glocca Morra. Musical numbers ; Act I * "This Time of the Year" – Ensemble * "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" – Sharon McLonergan * "Look to the Rainbow" – Sharon McLonergan and Ensemble * "Old Devil Moon" – Sharon McLonergan and Woody Mahoney * "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" (Reprise) – Sharon McLonergan * "Something Sort of Grandish" – Sharon McLonergan and Og * "If This Isn't Love" – Sharon McLonergan, Woody Mahoney and Ensemble * "Something Sort of Grandish" (Reprise) – Og * "Necessity" – Soloists and Singers * "That Great 'Come-and-Get-It' Day" – Sharon McLonergan, Woody Mahoney and Ensemble ; Act II * "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich" – Sharon McLonergan and Ensemble * "Old Devil Moon" (Reprise) – Sharon McLonergan and Woody Mahoney * "Fiddle Faddle" – Og * "The Begat" – Senator Billboard Rawkins and Gospeleers * "Look to the Rainbow" (Reprise) – Sharon McLonergan, Woody Mahoney and Ensemble * "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" – Og and Susan Mahoney * "If This Isn't Love" (Reprise) – Ensemble * "Finale" – Company Category:Stage musicals